Junior Activities - Minnows & Nippers

Director of Youth

Surf Education - Sunday Mornings

Affectionately known as our Minnow and Nipper Age Groups, these programs are designed for developing aquatic safety skills, surf awareness, team leadership and communication skills.

In a stimulating, challenging and fun environment we aim to prepare these junior lifesavers for a lifetime of surf safety and fun, and guide them towards becoming fully qualified, committed, dedicated Surf Lifesavers prepared to volunteer
their time to ensure we have safe enjoyable beaches.

These programs have been designed by Surf Life Saving Australia and it is hoped that our juniors will reach cadet and senior levels with the confidence, knowledge and efficiency of a skilled life saver.

They will learn to recognise safe beach and aquatic environments, basic first aid, surf awareness, surf safety and be sun smart. Each age manager will coordinate these sessions as part of the Sunday morning activities.

Junior Age Groups

Age at 30th September

Age Group

Cap Colour

Age

Minnows

Purple

5/6 yrs

Under 8's

Light Blue

7 yrs

Under 9's

Dark Blue

8 yrs

Under 10's

Green

9 yrs

Under 11's

Red/Blue

10 yrs

Under 12's

White

11 yrs

Under 13's

Yellow

12 yrs

Under 14's

Red

13 yrs

Age Group Managers

Our age managers are qualified in either the SLSC Bronze medallion or Surf Rescue Certificate. Their responsibilities are basically to ensure the development of surf lifesaving skills such as surf awareness, surf swimming, board paddling and personal life skills, such as leadership and social interaction.

An age group manager supervises each age group. They volunteer their time to instruct and help our
junior members through their Sunday morning activities and program.

It is mandatory for all Age Group Managers to have undertaken Member Protection Screening, a WA Police Service and a Working With Children Check. At all times, the safety and well being of each individual junior member is paramount to the Age Group Manager. If you have any queries please feel free to ask any of our Age Group Managers.

Water Safety

Water safety members will assist our juniors during Sunday morning activities. These hard working members are recognised by the orange cap they wear. All water safety personnel are qualified lifesavers with SRC qualifications and/or Bronze Medallion. The ratio for water safety in all water activities is 5 juniors to 1 officer.

Parents are also encouraged to assist in all activities whether they have SLSA awards or not. Please see
our Director of Youth if you have any questions regarding this.

Junior Club Championships

Junior Club Championships will be held over three (3) Sunday mornings during the surf season with point’s allocated for places and participation in boards, surf race, beach flags and beach sprint events. All our active juniors in the competition age groups (U/8 – U/14) are encouraged to participate.

Competition

Junior Surf Lifesaving competitions are conducted throughout the surf season. These competition
carnivals are held in Perth and a regional beach each season.

The Junior competition age begins in U/11’s through to U/14’s and our juniors participate in all the surf disciplines, which include surf race, boards, beach flag and beach sprints and a range of relay events. Any U/10 wishing to compete in SLSWA competitions can only do so in U/11 team events and must have met all U/11 carnival competition requirements as stated below.

To maintain safety in surf competition the minimum requirements for competitors to compete in
carnivals is a 288m open water swim in less than 9 minutes. Additionally under 14's must have attained their Surf Rescue Certificate

Training

Competition training is held during the surf season. Specialised skill work and general physical skills are
focused on during these sessions.

Each junior is encouraged to have fun and to achieve their full potential in a challenging and stimulating environment. The emphasis is not on winning, but on doing their best so that an enjoyable and successful experience for our children is achieved.

For more information regarding training please see Director of Surf Sports or Director of Youth.

Caps, Colours and Clothing

Age group coloured caps are compulsory on the beach every Sunday. It is a way of easily identifying our
young lifesavers on the beach and in the water.

Slip, slop, slap and wrap by ensuring that your children are wearing their coloured age caps, hat, T-­‐shirt
and sunscreen each Sunday morning, as well as a water bottle.

Please write your child’s Christian name on the front of their coloured cap so we all know each other. A basket is provided for each age group so that our juniors can have their goggles, water bottles, hats and T-­‐shirts close by. This also prevents lost property.

Parents

To provide our juniors with every opportunity available for them to feel confident and safe on our beach
each Sunday, we need you to be near or with your child.

We need help with activities, both in and out of the water, to cheer, clap and encourage every effort made by every child. This will inturn see your child become more involved in the sport, to see him or her enjoy and work towards being confident in their skills and to accept all the challenges that the “SURF” offers. It may also help you keep fit, healthy and relaxed.